For those in peril on the sea...

[Ian]

The one thing that truly sucks about having been a Navy flight instructor is that my chance of knowing people involved in Navy, Marine Corps and  Coast Guard helicopter mishaps has gone up exponentially.  I've now lost my second student.  (The 1st was a couple years ago when you may have seen in the news a Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra crashed in Camp Pendleton and started a considerable fire).

A Navy MH-60S crashed in the Red Sea a few days ago and one of the pilots on board was a student of mine from 2011.  Luckily the 3 people in the back of the aircraft got out, but the two pilots did not.  Both pilots are survived by wives and children.  Please keep them and their families in your prayers during this trying time.  CWO3 Gibson is the gentleman that I knew.

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20130924/NEWS/309240038/Navy-names-two-officers-killed-Red-Sea-helo-crash

[Sir James A]

Oh man, that's terrible.

[Lord Dane]

My condolescences, brother. Here's to your comrades.
A salute in their honor, A prayer for their sacrifice, A toast to their service.
Blessings upon them & their families or loved ones.

[Sir Wolf]

ah man i am so sorry.

[Sir Edward]

Wow, my condolences, especially to the families.

[Sir Patrick]

My condolences as well. Their families are in my prayers.

[Sir William]

My condolences as well. Their families are in my prayers.

And in mine as well; may God have mercy on their souls and give comfort and succour to the families.

[Sir Nate]

my condolences

[Sir Douglas]

My condolences, Ian.
And God bless you, your students, all of the fine folks who serve, and their families.
I thank you for your service.

[Sir Brian]

A tragedy like this is always difficult to come to terms with. You hope and pray those you have trained and served with will have a long and healthy life after a long and distinguished career. So when their lives are cut short we are compelled to remember just how dangerous the military profession is at all times and not just in war. Yet in a sense we can at least understand and take comfort that those of our brethren that have fallen in the line of duty convey with them the abounding pride for sharing a few moments in their brief yet noble lives of those who have known them.

[Lord Chagatai]

Prayers are out to them and the families....as well as you..


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[Ian]

Thank you all for your kind words of support.

The saddest part of this whole thing is that they shouldn't have even been there.  The USS Nimitz strike group should have been home by now.  But because of political posturing over Syria they were extended and sent to that region.  And as a result LCDR Landon Jones never met his newborn child, and CWO3 Jon Gibson doesn't get to kiss his wife and hug his kids after another deployment. 

Please don't ever think for one second that even the smallest thing you see our politicians BSing about on TV and groveling for support over doesn't directly put our servicemen and women directly in to harm's way and put lives at risk even when no bullets are flying at the US military itself.  Also don't think for one second that those same politicians will ever shed a tear for these American heroes who gave their lives so that certain people could look tough on the world stage.  The same politicians who have an unprecedented percentage of members who have never served in the military or have children who serve, yet deploy the military more and more and for longer and longer than has ever been done.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/09/28/living/words-from-a-grieving-widow/

**EDIT**
PayPal accounts have been set up for donations to the families
LCDR Landon Jones:
landonjonesmemorialfund@gmail.com

CWO3 Jon Gibson:
jongmemorial@yahoo.com

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, that's something that a lot of people don't get. Deployments are risky, even when no shots are fired. Bad weather, mechanical problems, human mistakes, they all can add up into lost lives.

[Sir Douglas]

Amen. They see the troops as pawns and statistics instead of human beings. It's a shame. How easy is it to say, "Oh, yeah, let's send a hundred more guys out there. A thousand. Ten thousand. They're just numbers."

I have a lot of respect for people who have served. My dad is a Vietnam vet, and the general public treated those guys like dirt when they came home. I wasn't around then, but I still think it's shaped my current opinions on servicemen. Whether or not you agree with the politics behind whatever war they're in, the fact is that these guys go into some of the worst places in the world and go through things that no one should have to experience, while the guys in charge sit back and say, "Eh, let's send in a few more".

Again, I sincerely thank you guys for your service.

/rant

[Sir Martyn]

I am sorry for your loss Ian and will keep their families in our thoughts.

I hope their sacrifice won't be in vain.  If (and it's a big one) the end game in Syria results in lives saved and over the longer term better prospects for some kind of future for the next generation in region, then perhaps this will have been about more than just posturing - time will tell.

You're right that many don't consider the reasons or circumstances behind where folks serve or why - nor did many ask why we have a presence in many dangerous places around the world until events lend themselves to convenient politicization - by both sides (i.e., Benghazi). 

But I digress, apologies.